Turkey, the Cradle of Civilization

In addition to traveling through Central Europe, one of my great interests was to see Turkey.  After spending just a short 10 days in the country, I can see why so many refer to Anatolia as the cradle of civilization.

My journey started in Istanbul (Marmara Region) down the Aegean Coast to Troy, Ephesus and Pamukkale then inland down to the Mediterranean Sea and Antalya.

Turkey (Anatolia) is over 10 thousand years old and is the point where Europe meets Asia and therefore has been the center of many migrations, conquests and conflicts.  From pre-historic era settlements to the Roman and Byzantine periods to the Ottoman Empire to its establishment as the Republic of Turkey, Anatolia which makes up 97% of Turkey's land mass, remains geo-political and of socio-economic importance.

In this post I will combine my previous posts on Istanbul and Ephesus and have included information and pictures from Pamukkale, Hierapolis and Antalya.

Istanbul, Turkey's Largest and Most Magnificent City

Ephesus, One of the World's Best Protected Civilizations

Pamukkale

Pamukkale (Cotton Castle)

Pamukkale means Cotton Castle and is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.  Terraces of white rock with thermal pools dot the mountainside some 400 meters above sea level. The natural spring is approximately 35 degree Celsius and the terraces are spread over a 4 km area.  I walked out onto the terraces but it is strictly forbidden to wear any shoes.  It was quite slippery and I almost took a tumble into one of the pools (what a klutz)! As you can imagine Pamukkale is quite a tourist area and although I was visiting pre-season, there were several people enjoying the water. 

The area around the terraces are filled with beautiful flower beds and walkways with benches to sit and enjoy the scenic view.

High Flyer over Pamukkale

Hierapolis

Directly behind Pamukkale is the ancient city of Hierapolis.  The city was named after Telephos' (founder of Pergamon) wife Hiera and was annexed into the Roman Empire in 133 BC. Most of the cities remains can be traced to the 1st and 2nd centuries.  The Roman Bath, built in the 2nd century is now a museum.

Roman Bath 2nd Century now a museum

The theatre in Hierapolis had a seating capacity of 10,000 and was build in the 2nd century AD. In the back of the photo (circled in red) is the memorial grave to Philip, one of the martyred apostles. 

One of the most interesting sites in Hierapolis is the necropolis, with thousands of graves and tombs. I found it quite eerie walking down the long path through the excavated ruins.  The photo below is one of the tomb houses in the necropolis.

Antalya

Our final day was in Antalya, a lovely city located on the Mediterranean Sea.  Our hotel was the nicest so far.  Unfortunately, the tour company takes the bus load of "guests" to carpet, leather and jewelry manufacturers.  We spent about 7 hours at these places and really lost one full day of the trip.  Not my idea of fun which is why I've never taken a tour before and most likely will not again.  I only had one morning to walk the city and visit the Archaeological Museum and was well-worth the time.

Ruins in Antalya date back 2M years to the Palaeolithic Age, the Mesolithic Age, the Neolithic Age, the Chalkolithic Age and the Bronze Age.  Now, Antalya is a tourist city with numerous markets, white beaches and waterfalls. 

In my next life I'd like to be an archeologist. It seems to me all of Turkey is one giant dig. The museum boasts some of the oldest and most precious artifacts in the world.

The last night in Antalya we were taken to dinner and treated to special Turkish dancers.  The belly dancers (both men and women) were one of the highlights of the trip.

Ephesus, One of the World's Best Protected Ancient Civilizations

Ephesus on the Aegean Sea

Situated at the edge of the Bulbul and Panayir Mountain areas, Ephesus is one of the best-protected historic cities in Western Asia.  The city is the most famous of the Ionic settlements in Turkey. It was used as an export harbor, as well as the western starting point of a trade route leading from the Kaystros Valley across Iran into Asia.

It became an Ionic colony in the 10th century BC under the rule of Lydia and was rescued from Persian domination by Alexander the Great.  Ephesus had its "hay day" or golden period during the time it was a Roman city starting in 133 BC.  Most of the excavated structures are from this period. It was also during this time Christianity was growing in the region.  The St. Paul came to the city in 54 AD.  St. John wrote his Gospel here and after the death of Jesus, Mary fled to Ephesus to escape Christian persecution (I also visited Mary's house and have pics later in the post.) Because of all these events throughout ancient history, Ephesus is an important religious center.  It's probably the reason so many excavations have been and are continuing to be done in this center of civilization.

Roman decorations along Marble Street

Parts of a Roman Statue on Marble Street

Entrance to the city was by two avenues: The gates of the Virgin Mary and the Kusadasi Road. The gymnasium stood at the Kusadasi entrance and was built in the 2nd century dedicated to Artemis. 

Marble Street  begins at the west end of the Gymnasium leading to the Celsus Library.  The library was erected in honor of a Roman lord of Ephesus.  It was a two-story structure with four female statues in niches in the front of the building representing "Virtue", "Science", "Destiny", and "Knowledge", the original statues are now in Austria.  It is difficult to see them in this pic but I have a close up of one in the "Other Photos" section.

Celsus Library

Immediately to the left of the library is the major excavation of the Houses on the Slope built in the 1st century AD.  These houses belonged to the city's wealthier residents; the restoration of two of the houses is completed and I was able to take a separate tour.  The first house is the largest and was two stories.  It had a bathroom, kitchen, theatre room (yep!), and a fountain in the entry.  The frescoes and mosaics are amazing.  It was definitely a highlight for me to see.

House #1; 900 square meters with a second floor

Just one of the many mosaics in the house

Beautiful fresco

Opposite the "Houses on the Slope" is Harbour Road.  This road ran from the harbour to the front of the theatre and was built in the late Hellenistic period, around 408 AD. Beneath the road ran the sewage canal, while fresh water canals were built under the small shops lining both sides of the road.  Different symbols were imbedded into the road to signify buildings.  I have a pic of one of the symbols below.

Harbour Road to the Great Theatre

A foot with a heart (upper left) means this is the way to a brothel

The theatre was the largest structure in Ephesus and had a capacity for seating 25,000 people.  It had three floors with 22 stairs on each floor.  Not all of the theatre has been excavated. The theatre was first constructed during the Hellenistic period but the remains seen today are from the 1st and 2nd centuries AD.  In 54 AD St. Paul was attacked by the people of Ephesus when he tried to stop them from worshipping Artemis. After this confrontation Paul left Ephesus.

Virgin Mary's House

After the death of Jesus, Mary and John fled to Ephesus. This church is now known as the Virgin Mary's House and dates back to the 6th century.  The structure was originally found in ruins and has been restored. During excavations, pieces of coal belonging to the 1st century were found.  Five daily prayers as in Islam are performed here, because the Virgin Mary is also sacred to Moslems.

The gardens around the house are quite lovely and many Christians sojourn to this place to offer prayers.

Other Sites Near Ephesus

Artemis Temple was considered one of the "Wonders of the World" in ancient times. The only ruin left is one column.  The temple was actually built five times with the fourth constructed temple built during the rein of King Kroissos of Lydia in 550 BC.  Check out the birds nest on top. As you can see the land around this temple column and the other ruins is quite marshy and as a result malaria outbreaks were frequent.

Relief statue - Celsus Library

Other photos

Fountain of Trajan

House on the Slope pots for cooking

Temple of Hadrian built in 138 AD